Study finds use of prenatal cannabis may affect behavior of children later

WOSU features study co-authored by Aaron Murnan, PhD, UC College of Nursing

The use of cannabis during pregnancy can affect thinking and learning skills and lead to greater aggression in exposed children, according to a new study co-authored by a UC College of Nursing researcher.

The study looked at a cohort of 250 children and was recently published in JAMA Pediatrics.

“Children exposed to marijuana prenatally demonstrated worse executive functioning including: lower attention, inhibitory control and planning abilities compared to children not exposed to marijuana prenatally,” explains Aaron Murnan, PhD, assistant professor in the UC College of Nursing and a co-author of the study. “Children with exposure were also observed to be more aggressive compared to their peers.”

The study’s lead investigator and author is Sarah Kleim, PhD, at the Center for Biobehavioral Health at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

“Although cannabis is a natural product, there are still many risks to using it during pregnancy,” says Kleim. “Some women may turn to cannabis to help deal with some common issues of pregnancy including nausea, sleep problems and stress. This is not recommended. Consulting with a health care provider to find safer options to help with these issues during pregnancy is important.”

Aaron Murnan, PhD.

Murnan says this study has great methodological strengths. Its findings were reported by public radio’s WOSU in Columbus, Ohio and other media outlets.

“This is well-aligned with our previously published study among a younger cohort of children who were age 3,” explains Murnan, a researcher in the Department of Population Health in the UC College of Nursing. “In that study, children exposed to marijuana prenatally had more sleep-related problems and externalizing problem behaviors (including aggression) compared to children without prenatal exposure.”

Murnan says more work is needed to fully understand the extent of how prenatal marijuana exposure impacts children’s developmental and behavioral trajectories. However, this study contributes to a growing and substantial amount of evidence for risks associated with marijuana use during pregnancy, he adds.

“The findings align with existing recommendations cautioning pregnant people to discontinue marijuana use during pregnancy,” says Murnan. “This can be a challenging adjustment. Providers and family members alike should seek to be empathetic and supportive in helping those who are pregnant trying to reduce or discontinue their marijuana use.

“If we think about lower executive functioning and increased aggressive behaviors at age 5 (and 3 in our prior paper), these can potentially jeopardize or interfere with children’s performance and early success within educational environments, which may impede their long-term educational trajectories,” says Murnan.

Learn more about Aaron Murnan's research online.

The study was reported in several media outlets.

WOSU

The Columbus Dispatch

Featured top image of cannabis image courtesy of Istock.